Two “thunderbolts” in four minutes, and England flashed from safe semi-final passage to fighting for their Rugby World Cup lives.
Peni Ravai and Vilimoni Botitu both crashed over, to prove that lightning really can strike twice, as Fiji wiped out a 24-10 deficit at Stade Velodrome.
Steve Borthwick is ultra proud of his England team for always finding a way to win at this World Cup, whatever the circumstances and whatever it takes.
Clawing an 18-17 victory over Samoa in a pool stage match with quarter-final qualification secured is one thing — but fending off a Fiji onslaught in a knockout match was something else entirely.
Borthwick hailed his men for handling those bolts from the blue, driving back upfield and securing scores to win 30-24. “For large parts we controlled the game, then had a couple of thunderbolts in quick succession,” said the head coach.
“Not that long ago an England team is probably not going to come back and win that game, and this team did. There is a smartness about the team. There is a composure about the team.”
First Owen Farrell pulled the trigger on a snap drop-goal, then the captain posted a penalty after Ben Earl’s barnstorming 50-metre break.
Farrell praised his forward pack’s level heads for digging the backs out of a hole for the crucial drop-goal. Then the England skipper laid a big word of thanks at the jet-heeled feet of stellar No 8 Earl.
“We pulled the trigger as backs a bit too early and got hit behind the gainline but the forwards got us back in the right position again for the drop-goal, so fair play to them,” said Farrell.
“And Ben’s obviously growing and growing as a player, but it’s no surprise to me.
“It’s how hungry he is, how much he wants the ball and wants to get involved when it really matters most.”
England always said they would deliver when it really mattered most.
Borthwick must have felt like a broken record for continually pledging that England would be ready for their opening World Cup match against Argentina.
England delivered in spades that night, with Farrell and Billy Vunipola banned and Tom Curry sent off inside four minutes, to prevail 27-10.
The rest of the group stage was easy enough to navigate after seeing off Japan 34-12. Yesterday, though, England knew one false move too many and they would be going home.
Instead, the Red Rose men are in the semi-finals and face the Herculean task of defeating a South Africa side positively dripping with supremacy.
The Springboks will punish any England transgression without mercy in Paris on Saturday night.
They seem to have a sixth sense for soaking up pressure, biding their time, then striking almost without warning.
To pick off teams such as Scotland without breaking sweat in the pool stages seemed intimidating enough, but to dismiss the hosts in full flight last night proved menace personified.
South Africa’s 29-28 win in Paris might dampen some tournament enthusiasm on the ground here, but the brutal Boks will not care one jot.
England are equally unfazed, but whether Borthwick’s men can find the muscle and manpower to match and better the Boks remains to be seen.
Borthwick’s men have hit their World Cup par, and must be respected and praised for turning the ramshackle end of Eddie Jones’s reign into a credible tournament campaign.
The only northern hemisphere representatives in the World Cup’s last four did pass through the easy half of the draw, however. In these pages on Friday, World Cup winner Lawrence Dallaglio branded the side of the draw containing Ireland, New Zealand, France and South Africa as representing “a different sport” across the pool stages.
Well, now England have to rise to that different discipline, cranking up through the collision-area notches again, to cope with the Boks’ compelling mix of power and panache.
